By: Andrew Krammer

Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino added some Big Ten experience to his staff Tuesday.

Ben Johnson, a former Gophers player and Nebraska assistant, was named Pitino’s third assistant, according to a release.

“I have been impressed with what I have personally seen and heard from a variety of knowledgeable people when they talk about Ben Johnson,” Pitino said in a release. “In addition to being a proud Minnesota alum, he brings the work ethic I am looking for and a knowledge of the University, the Midwest and the Big Ten conference.”

The Minneapolis native spent one season under Tim Miles at Nebraska. Before that, he was a part of Northern Iowa’s basketball staff for four seasons.

Johnson, 32, won two state championships at DeLaSalle High School and was a two-time captain as a basketball player with the Gophers.

“I want great chemistry,” Pitino told the Minnesota Daily on Tuesday. “I need guys that complement each other and guys that make me better. I don’t want all the same guy.”

Johnson will join Kimani Young and Mike Balado on Pitino’s staff. Pitino said Tuesday that Balado, who has been hired by Minnesota, is being allowed to talk with Florida International University about taking the top assistant job with its basketball program.

By: Andrew Krammer

Empty white walls draped Gophers men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino’s office. Only hooks remained from what could have been Tubby Smith’s old décor.

Twelve days into his new position, Pitino has been buzzing through individual player workouts, hiring staff and taking the first steps in recruiting.

But he’s not settled in yet.

“Far, far from it,” Pitino said. “We’ll get there eventually. Don’t have time for that yet.”

Granted his first big-time gig at the age of 30, Pitino won’t let his one year of head coaching experience dwarf the fact he’s learned under some of the game’s greatest minds.

The Massachusetts native worked under the likes of Florida coach Billy Donovan and his own father, legendary Louisville coach Rick Pitino, before taking the reins of his own program at Florida International University last season.

Pitino is in line to follow in his role models’ footsteps.

“Billy [Donovan] was in the same boat I was in,” Pitino said. “He was 29 years old when he took over at Florida. Now he’s going head-to-head with my dad and the likes of Kentucky.”

Former Gators assistant Larry Shyatt, who worked with Pitino for two years at Florida, said the young coach is just a few years behind breakout coaches Shaka Smart and Brad Stevens.

Smart and Stevens have led mid-major programs Virginia Commonwealth and Butler to deep runs in the NCAA tournament recently. First-year Gophers athletics director Norwood Teague hired Smart when he was at VCU.

“[Pitino] has a gift,” Shyatt said. “Whether you’re young or old, that doesn’t matter. He has a gift to develop relationships and trust that very few of us have.”

Relationships are key to recruiting, which is a cornerstone to building a program. But with the Gophers losing two frontcourt starters in Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams, Pitino’s office walls might remain barren a little longer as he tries to fill the holes.

Pitino noted the role Mbakwe and Williams played in the Gophers’ success last season and quickly tempered expectations for next year’s campaign.

“My point is we’re losing two starters in the frontcourt,” Pitino said. “Two very good players, and we don’t have the depth necessary just yet.”

Pitino touted his style of play as “fun” for fans and players when he was introduced as the Gophers’ coach April 5. As of Tuesday, Pitino had run three 40-minute individual workouts with each player. He said all of them were focused on offense.

Because freshman forward Charles Buggs and sophomore big man Mo Walker have missed some time during individual workouts due to illness and injury, Pitino said he still has to wait to assess where recruiting needs lie.

Robbinsdale-Cooper High School coach Steve Burton leads one of Minnesota’s most touted 2014 recruits in Rashad Vaughn. Burton said youth might help the Gophers net the budding star.

Former 2013 Gophers recruits Alvin Ellis and Alex Foster were released from their letters of intent after Smith was fired March 25, and Minnesota has four scholarships available for the upcoming season.

“Maybe from Rashad’s point of view, having somebody younger reach out might help,” Burton said. “I remember getting my first job at 26; people weren’t sure I should be coaching either.”

Ron Everhart, an assistant coach at West Virginia, hired Pitino to his first assistant coaching job at Northeastern in 2005 at age 24.

Even then, Everhart said he could tell Pitino had been garnering experience long before he was earning a paycheck for it.

“He’s basketball matured beyond his years,” Everhart said. “He’s been around it since he’s been a young kid.”

Everhart used the same comparisons as Shyatt by saying Stevens and Smart are only a few steps ahead of Pitino on the timeline.

“Richard [Pitino] was able to do what they did in one year at Florida International,” Everhart said, referring to FIU’s first winning season in 13 years. “No question in my mind this guy has big-time success written all over him.”

By: Marion Renault

Hell, Furious and Bender can already be found at more than 500 Minnesota bars and restaurants, but now Surly Brewing Company will be closer than ever to the University of Minnesota campus and its students.

The Brooklyn Center-based brewery announced Monday its purchase of more than eight acres in Prospect Park, about five blocks from TCF Bank Stadium. Construction for a $20 million “destination brewery” including a bar, restaurant, beer garden and event center will begin in the fall, pending environmental cleanup of the site.

The location suits Surly’s need for a brewery that will produce 100,000 barrels of beer a year, Surly founder and president Omar Ansari said in a news release.

 “It took us two years to find the perfect location, and now we’re finally ready to plant the Surly flag in the Prospect Park area,” Ansari said.

Chris Ferguson, who owns the Stadium Village Dairy Queen/Orange Julius, said he was very pleased with the purchase.

“I think it’s great,” he said. “The more places you have that drive traffic and drive people into the area, that’s going to be good for the area.”

City Councilman Cam Gordon, who represents the site’s ward, said he shared that excitement for the project.

“I just think it’s fantastic news,” he said. “It’s going to spur new development in Prospect Park and North University [Avenue].”

But Gordon said he has a few “minor apprehensions” about the construction phase of the project.

With the area just coming out of light-rail construction, Gordon said neighbors will be sensitive to how Surly handles access and traffic during construction.

“I can’t anticipate any [specific problems],” he said, “Sometimes, you know, with companies there will be issues with trucks, traffic, odors.”

Ferguson said Surly was smart in positioning itself so close to nearby public transportation.

“I think we need to get more places moving in and taking advantage of the light rail and all the opportunities for development along the corridor,” he said.

In January, the company received more than $2 million in grants to assist in the cleanup from Hennepin County, the Metropolitan Council and the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said in the release that the city has been working closely with the brewery — first in helping pass legislation that made the project possible, then helping it turn a former food processing plant and “blighted site” into a destination brewery.

“It’s a great example of how government can work with a great small business that makes a great local product,” he said.

Monday marked the end of a two-year search in which Surly considered 80 possible locations in 30 cities around the Metro.

By: Cassie Olson, University student

I recently was recommended to read an April 3 article titled, “Defining the St. Paul student.” As both a student and resident in the St. Paul campus community, I feel justified in answering this question myself.

In the article, one student, a resident on West Bank, vouched that students of St. Paul are “kind of left out of everything.” Although it may be misconceived that a campus of smaller students would feel disconnected from University of Minnesota events, this is far from the case. Some of the best memories for many students on the St. Paul campus come from spending long evenings in the Livestock Pavilion pomping floats in preparation for Homecoming, waking up at 6 a.m. to get the best spots available to tailgate at fall football games or taking the Campus Connector to Mariucci Arena to catch another women’s hockey victory. The small-town atmosphere only adds to the enjoyment of these common University events, as we don’t attend as individuals or even as groups; we find ourselves feeling like family.

Family is what leads me into my next point. Nowhere else at the University will you be able to find a group of people who support you through all obstacles of life. One student in the article put it correctly by saying that even though you may not know every single person on campus personally, you quickly learn their face in passing. When someone in St. Paul makes news, even in the smallest of ways, they are supported and congratulated in a way much similar to how one would feel at home. St. Paul is a small community, and with that, we are connected to one another, whether or not we realize it.

“So what makes up a St. Paul student?” you may ask. Although the professor in the article made a valid point in saying we are all connected as University students, there is something special about being a St. Paul student. We are the students who wake up at the crack of dawn to head out to the dairy barn to check on a newborn calf or even just to visit the employees in the parlor. We are the students who enjoy the friendly competition against one another in Minnesota Royal every spring. We are the students discovering the effects of different clothing materials. We are the students who are working hard to find new ways to feed more than 7 billion people.

The April 3 article sought out a definition of what defines a St. Paul student. To sum it up, a St. Paul student is simply a unique individual in a great community that may seem disconnected from the bigger picture but is connected on a greater level. The involved, hardworking and dedicated students in St. Paul make it a great place that I am proud to call home.

By: Editorial board

Tuesday is a make-it-or-break-it day for local city council candidates vying for Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party support. That evening, the party will elect delegates in a process that will truly start the local election cycle. There is no Republican equivalent in Minneapolis City Council elections.

There are 6,946 spots for ward delegates and 1,780 spots for city delegates to endorse candidates. Though voter turnout is always an issue with local elections due to a lack of press and the fact that some races are largely decided prior to voting, it is crucial for students to get involved in this election this week and beyond in order to make their voice heard. Students do not need to come into caucuses with a firm decision on the candidates, but it is necessary for them to attend the caucus so that they may become a delegate.

There are several wards in which University of Minnesota students live and should be active in. Ward 3 — largely the University area — is home to a close race between incumbent Diane Hofstede and Jacob Frey. Ward 3 includes those in Marcy-Holmes, Northeast Minneapolis and the North Loop neighborhoods.

Those in the Seward, Prospect Park and University dorm and residential areas have Cam Gordon representing them in Ward 2, uncontested in this election. In Ward 6, those in eastern downtown have candidates Robert Lilligren, Abdi Warsame and Mahamed Cali. Those in Ward 10, also a large student residential area in Uptown, have incumbent Meg Tuthill, Lisa Peterson Bender, Kendal Killian and Ken Bradley vying for party endorsement. Regardless if you support a candidate, joining the caucus process is instrumental in participating in local elections.

By: Editorial board

In his final State of the City address, Mayor R.T. Rybak outlined a vision for the future of Minneapolis, focused on rectifying the economic and education gaps in north Minneapolis and across the city, increasing population density and supporting economic development throughout the city via transportation and green initiatives. However, much of the effort will fall upon the next generation of city government leaders to implement the necessary steps to achieve this vision, dependent upon popular support from the city residents.

First, despite the progress made across much of the city, neighborhoods in north Minneapolis — beset with the worst impacts of the housing crisis and the effects of the tornado — have not seen commensurate success. For example, the achievement gap, as reported in the Star Tribune a year ago, ranked the eighth-grade math scores of disadvantaged students in Minnesota 49th out of the 50 states.  For as many things as Minneapolis does well — bike trails, the overall weathering of the recession and population growth — such a result is simply unacceptable. In order to secure a prosperous future for the city, closing the economic gap, a major factor in the achievement gap in north Minneapolis and the city at large,  must be a priority.

In doing so, many different solutions have been proposed, including working with businesses to provide tax incentives, green spaces and amenities as well as improved transit. As it stands, despite the wealth of public transportation, including the light rail that connects more affluent areas of the Twin Cities, north Minneapolis is relatively isolated in forms of public transportation from downtown, connected only via various bus routes. While other proposals may have a small impact, improved transit — especially options without the traditional stigma of the bus — that serves to integrate neighborhoods in north Minneapolis with amenities downtown, near the lakes and with everything else the city has to offer will be a driving force in economic development. 

By: Hemang Sharma

As anyone in the rap game will tell you, it is never wise to start a beef with Jay-Z, especially when he is on a vacation. If only U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and many other conservative politicians gave rap a chance.

Jay-Z visited the forbidden land of Cuba with his wife, Beyoncé, to celebrate their wedding anniversary after attaining proper clearance from the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Rubio, a conservative with Cuban roots, chose to make a political point of the oppression of the Cuban people by the Communist regime and expressed his distaste of the rapper’s unwillingness to go about helping the people of Cuba. He called out the rapper, saying he needs to “get informed.”

So Jay-Z did what any rapper would do, even when on a vacation: He dropped a rhyme to address the haters. In an open letter, Jay-Z requested people to leave him alone until he had committed a real crime, which he hadn’t because he and his wife entered Cuba legally.

Jay-Z’s latest rap claims he got the clearance to visit Cuba straight from President Barack Obama. Now, we all know rappers like to exaggerate about their money, power and sexual prowess. Knowing his friendship with Obama, the ignorant people of the masses — by which I mean Rubio — continued to demand answers from the administration, despite the legal answer, that the president doesn’t and didn’t have anything to do with anyone’s visit to Cuba.

My question is, why can’t a celebrity couple be allowed to enjoy their time without making them pawns in a political discourse? I understand Rubio has an issue in Cuba and would want celebrities to draw attention to a personal and national topic, but not every celebrity wants to be political at every moment of their life, neither should they be.

Everyone deserves a peaceful vacation, and if you’re a celebrity and a hip-hop legend, you’re probably used to obsessive attention in your native country. Lecturing him about the oppression, the suffering and the poverty isn’t always the prerogative of the ones in the limelight, especially on an anniversary. There are certain restrictions that the U.S. government puts on for traveling to a communist country, but Jay-Z’s entourage of people would have worked around them, as they are paid to do.

The bigger concern here is that why, in 2013, the U.S. still forbids its people from visiting Cuba, unless it is for an educational visit. Why can’t we have open tourism that allows our citizens to visit the beaches of Santiago? The Cold War feelings toward communism seem to linger. The U.S. has updated its relations toward communist countries, yet Cuba remains a ghost-like victim to past tensions.

Rubio said trips like these fund “tyrannical regimes.” If one wanted to find a group that has funded questionable international groups, we always have the U.S. government as an example. Rather than spur open dialogue on the issues of the Cuba-U.S. relationship, these accusations focus on vilifying celebrities and acute problems.

The problem with critiques like the one offered by Rubio is that instead of using his political will and charm in the Senate to create real change in ways that the U.S. can help Cuba, it chooses to trivialize the plight of the very Cuban people they claim to help.

Mark Sawyer, a University of California-Los Angeles political science professor who visited Cuba, argues that it is a good thing that celebrities like Jay-Z visit Cuba because it shows the people the possibilities of America. Many professors, students and other people get to visit Cuba, and so should everyone with sufficient funds and a security clearance.

Dear Dr. Date,

I have a serious problem. I’m a good guy and all. I want to date and have fun as much as the next guy on campus, but before I can “seal the deal” I have a bombshell that I have to drop. This winter I got the news from my doctor that I’m HIV-positive. My question is, should I tell a potential boyfriend right away, or is it more of a third- or fourth-date type of conversation? How should I bring it up?

—Positively Clueless

Positive,

Positive, my instinct is that you shouldn’t tell a guy about your HIV on the first date unless you plan on having sex with him that night. While bringing it up on the first date would be an incredible jerk filter, it might be awkward to talk about. There’s a staggering variety in levels of HIV awareness, and it might be exhausting to have to spell things out for every guy you go out to lunch with. You deserve to have fun on your dates! And anyway, on a flake-filled college campus, so many first dates never get a sequel.

If a guy is a potential boyfriend, you should tell him as soon as you can, preferably before you get intimate at all. If I were you, I’d tell him on the second or third date or as soon as you’ve decided that you really do want to spend more time with him. Hopefully he’ll be understanding. But if things end after he finds out, it won’t feel like the end of the world for either of you if you’ve only gone on a handful of dates.

As for the tell itself, don’t tell him in the middle of a kiss — try to pick an explicitly non-sexual moment. Sitting across the table from each other at a coffee shop on your second date sounds ideal. The best approach is the straightforward one. Here’s a line you can use: “Hey, listen. There’s something I want to tell you about.”

If any of you readers out there have experience with disclosing HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases, please write to me and tell me how you have handled it. I would love to share your stories with Positive and other readers.

—Dr. Date

Dr. Date,

I am a freshman now in college, and I am having a huge problem … finding a boyfriend. I have been single for a VERY long time now, and I would really like to be in a relationship. With the year winding down, I really thought I’d be in one by now. My friends are all in relationships, and it makes me want to find that special someone, too. I find it very hard to meet guys that find me likeable and attractive. Dr. Date, I’ve heard you are a great matchmaker and advice giver, so what should I do about finding my Mr. Right in college?

—Lost Without Love

Love Lover,

I know the feeling. Trust me. Having a boyfriend is fun! You get to make out all the time and go on dates and he comes to your rescue anytime you’re the slightest bit bored. I love it. And this time of year, when it should be sunny but the sky is letting loose with these actual ice pellets? Damn it all to hell if a boyfriend doesn’t sound good right about now.

But I’ll tell ya this, Lost Without Love. You’ve got a lot of time on your hands, and the summer is a long season. I predict that when the weather warms up, the boys will start peeling out of the woodwork. Keep your eye out.

In the meantime, be happy that you’re single. I’m sure that some of the friends you say you envy actually have a little bit of the green eye for you! You don’t have to answer to anybody, and you don’t have to keep anybody updated about your whereabouts. Someday you’ll find a nest to crash in. But for now? Enjoy the solo flight. Be your own boyfriend — treat yo’urself to nights in and nights out, buy yourself some flowers and sing yourself a song.

—Dr. Date

“I felt like I was drinking more than I was breathing.”

—Dinkytown

Professor: “Nobody ever wants to try to make an AI act like a real person … because there are more fun ways to make people.”

—Keller Hall

“They’re all different shades of white!”

—Centennial Hall lobby

“Well, it’s either keep sitting and sleeping here in my hallway or I could come get my keys from your place. … I kinda like where I’m at right now.”

—Unknown

Guy 1: “You’re not my doctor!”

Guy 2: “How do you know?”

Guy 1: “You don’t touch my groin when I cough!”

—Campus Connector

“You heard about the lineup for Spring Jam? It’s as depressing as all the snow!”

—Nicholson Hall

“I just think we should support a corporation that’s more honest about how it kills people off, that’s all.”

—Hanson Hall

“So … I’m on a short bus with a stripper pole and cutting my steak with plastic silverware.”

—Campus Connector

“Tiny bridges are cute. Kittens are cute. Viruses are not cute.”

—Campus Connector

Guy 1: “I’m going to listen to my French music.”

Guy 2: “‘Niggas in Paris’ is not French music.”

—Bailey Hall

Person 1: “There were three really hot girls there.”

Person 2: “Strippers?”

Person 1: “No, people.”

—Armory building

By: Janice Bitters

Debt is a widespread worry, but some — including college students — are hit harder than others.

Last week, Gov. Mark Dayton declared April financial literacy month in Minnesota in an effort to educate people about debt and how to avoid it.

Various state agencies will host nearly 40 outreach events this month, and each week’s events will be geared toward a different demographic, from youth to senior citizens. This week is dedicated to higher education.

The state Office of Higher Education and the Department of Commerce are leading to the charge to help college students understand the far-reaching implications of student debt.

According to a study by the Institute for College Access and Success, two out of three college seniors in 2011 had student loan debt, with an average of $26,600 per student. Nationally, the accumulated college student loan debt totals about $1 trillion — in June 2010, it surpassed total national credit card debt.

Minnesota’s student loan debt is the third-highest in the nation, according to the study. The average Minnesota student has nearly $30,000 in student loans.

But even as the numbers continue to rise, students may not realize the implications of taking on debt.

Sociology and Spanish senior William Sturtz said students don’t always consider the debt they’ve borrowed before they graduate.

“I feel like a lot of what is happening with many of our students is that they are trying to bide their time on the promise of future income,” he said, “and that terrifies me.”

Statewide initiatives

As part of Higher Education Week, state agencies planned 10 events focused on financial literacy for college students.

The Office of Higher Education will host a Twitter chat Wednesday, where students will be able to tweet financial questions related to higher education using the hashtags #waystosave2 and #FinLitMn, said Sandy Connolly, communications director for OHE.

“We are looking for students who have questions like how to approach student loans, how to manage student loans well, how to pay for college,” she said. “We are hoping that someone will throw a question out and another student can throw an answer back out at them.”

On Friday, the Minnesota OHE also plans to unveil College Planner, a website and mobile application for Minnesota students.

 “We are hoping that students will love it and use it as their own personal toolkit,” Connolly said. “So much of what they need to know is included.”

The free app will aim to help students keep track of college events and learn about financial aid options and schools in the state.

This month, the Minnesota Department of Commerce has 30 financial tips on its website — one for each day. One of the most important tips for college students, Connolly said, is to consider job prospects before taking out loans.

“We have a rule of thumb we talk about a lot,” she said. “You should consider your debt to be about the same amount of your first year’s income of the job you are going to work.”

University resources

At the University of Minnesota, there are a number of ongoing initiatives and resources in addition to those planned for this month.

The University offers ongoing financial counseling for students through One Stop Student Services and Boynton Health Service, said Julie Selander, director of One Stop Student Services and University Veteran Services.

“We have students where [debt] causes a lot of stress and mental anxiety,” she said. “We want to get them into the hands of a professional or someone who can guide them.”

All students who take out federal or University-administered loans must also complete exit counseling before graduation, which educates students how to repay loans after school.

In 2008, One Stop Student Services launched the Live Like a Student campaign to promote financial literacy on campus.

“We were starting to see the rise of overall debt for University students and were not really sure if they understood what they were getting into when they were taking out these loans,” Selander said.

To promote financial literacy month, Live Like a Student will partner with Money Revolution — a financial outreach program for college students — to host its own version of “Cash Cab,” the popular Discovery channel game show.

The game, originally planned for this week but rescheduled due to poor weather conditions, will take place April 23 near the Science Teaching and Student Services building.

During the event, students can ride in a pedicab across the Washington Avenue Bridge while answering financial literacy questions. The event will be videotaped, Selander said, and students who participate could be part of future videos for the campaign.

“Any question in the world of financial literacy is fair game,” she said.